


Remind Me

by teamchasez



Category: NSYNC, Pop Music RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 11:03:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16039178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamchasez/pseuds/teamchasez
Summary: A love was on the verge of being lost. Chris's and Melissa's marriage was in trouble. Melissa doesn't know what's going on and Chris isn't talking. It's up to their friends to remind them of what they shared.





	1. Chapter 1

Melissa Kirkpatrick sighed and blew out the candle in front of her on the dining room table. The room was encased in darkness. Not even the rays from the bright full Orlando moon found its way in. It was all just as well. Darkness was good. It matched her mood. Darkness went hand in hand with anger. It also went well with sadness.

The black dress caressed her legs as she stood. The silky fabric stretched across her tummy. She'd been proud of the way she looked in this dress. When she'd bought it her figure had given new meaning to the word curvy. Her shape was round. She worked hard to drop the pounds; particularly the ones around her middle. There were so many cute tops she would have loved to wear but hadn't been able. Now gone were the oversized sweatshirts and her husband's t-shirts. In their place were shapely cut tops. By no means was she a size zero and by Hollywood standards she was probably still considered overweight but she was happy with the way she looked. Her husband was happy with the way she looked. That was all that mattered.

Looking at the table Melissa could see the outlines of two plates from the china cabinet; the good dishes that were used only on special occasions. A pair of win glasses, half-filled with a succulent red wine sat at each setting. The wine warmed by the passing hours. The middle of the table boasted a new flower arrangement; filled with a mixture of bright roses and lilies. Food - long since cooled - marred the pristine china plates. Fresh baked bread hardened in the napkin wrapped basket.

Not even bothering to clean up the lost dinner, she moved to the bedroom. Removing the straps of the black dress from her shoulders, she let the silk fall to a puddle at her feet. Picking it up, she walked to the closet wearing nothing but her black lingerie. Once it was back on the hanger, she held the dress up, looking at it sadly before she hung it back up. It almost seemed like a waste, but she tossed the black lace strapless bra into the hamper along with the matching panties.

Melissa redressed in a much more comfortable bra and panty set. When she started losing weight, the first thing to go had been her breasts much to her husband's disappointment. She had lost a cup size and to be honest, didn't miss it at all. Of course that had meant she had to buy all new bras. The experience hadn't been as painful as it had in the past. It was actually quite fun. She got to look at the sexy bras instead of the plain Jane cotton ones. A smile crossed her face when she remembered coming home from shopping. She'd still been in a euphoric high (buying smaller sizes could do that do you) she had actually model some of the sexier bras for her husband. Her third trip out of the bathroom in her model walk, he surrendered and they spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening tangled in the sheets on their bed.

Frowning at her thoughts, she pushed them aside and walked into the bathroom. She blinked against the brightness when she flipped on the light. Pausing in front of the mirror over the sink, she stared at her reflection. Her light blonde shoulder length hair had been straightened (pointless she knew considering her hair was already straight but it helped with styling), parted off to the right side of her head with a cute barrette holding the hair out of her face on the left side. She reached up now removing the barrette. Using her fingers she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. It was long enough now to create a short tail. She had a shorter layer in front that hadn't quite reached pony tail length and fell down into face. She blew a breath causing the strands to bounce. Taking a head band from the drawer she pulled it down around her neck before pushing it up and into her hair, holding the loose strands at bay.

Staring at the image in the mirror, she was extra careful not to make eye contact. She didn't want to see the sadness lurking in her green eyes. Instead she looked at the lipstick she had carefully applied hours earlier. The bottom lip was now void of the red color from where she gnawed her bottom lip as the minutes passed and her husband had yet to make an appearance. 

Aside from losing a cup size in her breasts, she also lost some of the roundness in her cheeks. There weren't the striking chiseled features like a supermodel, but her cheekbones were more prominent then they had been. They now had a brushing of blush. Her eyes - and she made efforts not to look directly at them - were lined in black, giving her a smoky look. She remembered they had made her green eyes pop when she looked earlier. Then her eyes had been bright and happy. Now she wasn't sure her eyes would pop quite as much when filled with sadness.

With a heavy sigh, Melissa sat about removing the make up she had so painstakingly applied. The cloth soon became laden with beige and blacks from her foundation and eye make up. Tossing it into the trash can next to the sink cabinet, she turned on the faucet. Cupping her hands beneath the warm water, Melissa bent over and splashed water on her face a couple times before reaching for her face wash.

The red lights from the alarm clock glared back at her when she stepped back into the bedroom. 9:28. She pulled the blankets from beneath the pillows and slid underneath, pooling them at her waist as she leaned back against the headboard. Using the glow from the clock, she grabbed her cell phone. There were no missed messages. She blinked back the tears and brought up her contacts.

The phone rang in her ear and she waited for the call to be connected, hoping her best friend would pick up. She knew it was fruitless given the time, but she still hoped. When the voicemail kicked on, she bit her lip.

'Hi you've reached Rachel Chasez. Leave a message.'

"Hey, I'm not sure why I called. I know you're on stage doing your thing," Melissa spoke into the phone, trying to keep her voice straight. "I just..." she sighed, "I really need to talk. I'm sure the city you're in was blown away tonight." She mustered a grin at her choice of words. "Wah wah. Anyway..." She sighed again. "Call me when you get a chance for an old friend."

After she disconnected the phone call, she moved to the Instagram application on her phone to kill time. She wasn't sure when Rachel would return her phone call, if it would even be tonight. The last thing on Rachel's mind after performing in front of a no doubt sold out crowd would be returning a phone call. Her best friend had more important things on her mind during a high grossing tour. The thoughts she had in her mind weren't fair. She wasn't giving Rachel enough credit. 

Rachel Chasez née Bass had been her best friend for numerous years. Their friendship spanned decades, an ocean, continents and now the country. From the very first day of Kindergarten in the small down of Laurel, Mississippi, Rachel, Melissa and Rachel's twin brother Lance, had been inseparable. They sat by each other, played together at recess and had sleepovers constantly. It was very uncommon to see one without the others.

As they grew older and into the middle school age, Lance branched out to more friends, though he was still close to Melissa and obviously his twin. In high school she thought their friendship would end when Lance got the chance to be in a singing group out of Orlando. He and Diane, his mother, had flown to Florida for Lance to try out. They liked him immediately which meant Lance had to move to Florida. The Bass family moved to Florida leaving her behind. But when the group Lance was apart of was sent to break into the music world in Europe, Rachel moved back to Mississippi along with her father and older sister Stacy. Diane accompanied Lance overseas.

There had been many tears throughout the months Lance spent in Europe for both Rachel who desperately missed her twin and even for Melissa who missed her friend as well. She liked to say she helped Rachel through the time, at least filled the void in her best friend's heart somewhat.

It didn't come as a shock to her when Rachel told her she was moving to Orlando after graduation. Melissa had just smiled and asked when she should start packing. After graduating, they road tripped from Mississippi to Orlando, Florida where they moved in with Lance. It was the first time she had gotten to meet the rest of the members of Lance's group. She knew about them of course from the few times Rachel had talked about them and from Lance's letters while in Europe. It was something else to meet them in person.

The very first time Rachel had mentioned JC, Melissa knew her best friend was crushing on the older boy. When she met him for the first time, she hadn't been sure why. He was tall and skinny, sort of dorky looking. His personality sure made up for less-than-stellar good looks. Though Rachel proclaimed he was the hottest man ever. (Something she still claimed to this day.) His blue eyes had shined bright when he looked at Rachel and she had known then it wouldn't be very long before 'crushing' moved onto something more.

She'd been right. Melissa grinned ruefully. She was also fifty bucks richer after placing a bet with Joey. Thinking of Joey softened the grin. Joey had been... crazy. His love for Superman was proudly displayed by gold chains and clothing apparel. He was affectionate always quick to hug or touch comfortingly. He always took the time to talk with her, make her feel like part of the gang and not an outsider looking in. Being Lance's sister, Rachel had already been absorbed into the group. Being the best friend of the sister to one of the members, she hadn't felt as easily accepted at times. They settled into a close friendship never delving into anything deeper even though she harbored a small crush on him. She knew he was completely in love with his girlfriend, now wife, Kelly.

Justin had been the baby. It showed a lot of the times. His immaturity, some of the jokes he made or the things he laughed at. But they were all immature. Things they'd find funny it all Rachel and Melissa could do was roll their eyes. He was cocky at times, which grew as the group became more popular and the teenagers started screaming his name. They were never close. They were friends, sure, but Justin never made it past the barrier of acquaintance-friends and close-friends like Joey had.

Melissa's thoughts drifted to Chris and she couldn't help the sad sigh. Chris had driven her completely nuts. He had been hyper and energetic and at times more immature than Justin despite being much older. She had figured being the oldest of the group; he'd be sort of the leader. It didn't take long for her to figure out that quiet, shy, organized Lance kept them abreast of where they needed to be and when. Joey and JC usually corralled Chris and Justin. He liked to play practical jokes, they all did, but Chris usually took it to a whole new level. Unfortunately for her, she ended up being the target more times than not.

After spending a good portion of the next year getting mad, she learned to get even. For every prank Chris played on her, she played an even bigger one on him. Sometimes enlisting the help from the other members. Rachel had teased her it was some sort of foreplay between them. Melissa had laughed off at first but it had gotten her mind thinking things she had no business thinking about. In a way, Rachel's words have proven true. During a particularly nasty prank that resulted in a huge tub of pudding being dumped on Chris when he entered the rehearsal hall during the No Strings Attached tour.

Chris had exploded in anger. Anger spurred on by his friend doubled over in laughter. When he had zeroed in on Melissa nearly collapsed on the floor holding her stomach he had lost it. He started yelling at her. Melissa could barely keep from laughing as she watched pudding drip from his head. When a nasty barb struck, her temper snapped and soon they were toe to toe trading insults. She wasn't all to sure who moved first, one minute they were yelling at each other, the next they were kissing angrily. Neither heard the other occupants file from the room. They continued kissing unable to get enough of each other. To this day she still couldn't eat vanilla pudding without thinking about that heated kiss.

The ringing of her cell phone made her jump. Melissa stared down at the backdrop seeing Rachel's picture on the screen. She pushed the memories aside and connected the call.

"Oh my gawd," Melissa drawled her southern accent thick. "Ms. Country Superstar Rachel Chasez is calling lil ole me!"

Rachel laughed as she pulled a water bottle from the refrigerator in her tour bus. The bus idled beneath her as it was set to pull out of Philadelphia and head toward New York. There was less than a month left on this leg of her Blown Away tour before she got to enjoy almost two months off. She sat down on the couch smiling at JC when he came out of the bedroom already changed into a t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms. "I haven't been Ms. in a long long time. And if I don't call lil ol' you, you might go blabbing all those secrets I have."

"I'm sure the world would love to know that Rachel punched Brandon Thompson in the bus line after school." Melissa laughed maliciously.

"He said I was a bad kisser!" Rachel exclaimed.

"We were eight, Rachel."

"That kind of reputation sticks with you!" Rachel said with laughter in her voice. "I wasn't going to go through the rest of my elementary years and into junior high and high school being known as a bad kisser. Which I'm not, mind you."

"I'll take your word on it."

"If you're not sure, JC can tell you," Rachel met her husband's gaze; her own green eyes were shining bright as she teased Melissa. "And what about you? You stole Whitney Raber's clothes and tossed them into the shower during gym. She had to walk about in her razzy gym clothes all day."

"That was never proven," Melissa said with a giggle.

"Of course it wasn't you," Rachel rolled her eyes. "She only spread your crush for Philip Davis all over the seventh and eighth grades."

"She deserved worse!"

"You did do worse!" Rachel's voice rose. "You dumped an assortment of bugs you collected before school into her backpack during first period. Her screams nearly cleared the school!"

"Well what about what you did to Randy Edwards?"

"That no good piece of shit deserved it! He kept spreading lies about Lance." Rachel said indignantly. "He deserved every rumor I started!"

"You told everyone he had a small dick!" Melissa exclaimed. "And he came before you even had sex."

"That much was true; he did come in his pants. One touch of my breast and he was coming in his pants." When Rachel dared a glance at JC's shocked face, she lost it. She burst out into laughter. 

"I don't even want to know..." JC shook his head as he stared at his wife. She was curled up against the arm of the couch hunched over, giggling like a lunatic. "But remind me never to get on your bad side. Who knows what rumors you'll start about me?"

"Definitely not the small dick one," Rachel threaded her fingers through her long blonde hair, pushing it out of her face as she looked at JC. She started giggling again.

"No no no," Melissa moaned into the phone. "I do not want to hear about the size of JC's manhood! No Rachel no!"

"Like you've never discussed Chris and his 'coke can'." The laughter burst forth again. "I'd be more impressed if it was compared to a Monster can."

Melissa laughed uncontrollably; she curled on her side, wrapping an arm around her middle. This was why she called her best friend. Every time they talked it was like this; uncontrolled laughter and giggles. It was the best medicine.

Rachel gasped sitting up. "Oh Mel... I'm so sorry."

"About what?" Melissa asked getting control over her laughter. 

"I never even.... oh man...."

JC stared at Rachel searching her face trying to figure out what was wrong. When he saw the teasing glint in her green eyes he shook his head, a smile on his lips.

"Damnit, spill it Chasez."

"About the coke can... I just assumed.... We are talking about a regular size can right and not those mini ones..." She bit her lip to stop a giggle from escaping. "If so... oh Honey, I'm so so so sorry!"

"You bitch!!" Melissa screeched into the phone. The brazen term was met with her best friend's laughter. There was no heat behind the insult and she found herself soon laughing.

"Thanks to you ladies I will never be able to look at a pop can the same again," JC took a seat on the couch. The minute he was down, Rachel swung her legs into his lap. He automatically started rubbing her feet as tour bus started moving.

"So..." Rachel spoke when their laughter died and her friend fell silent on the other end of the phone. "What's up? You sounded kind of weird in your voicemail. What's wrong?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chris Kirkpatrick played with the label on his Bud Light. He sat in the back corner of a dim roadside bar. It was one of those establishments that still allowed smoking. So the interior was covered with a smoky haze. The place wasn't crowded. In the times he'd been there - every night for the past few weeks - he had yet to see a full bar. Even now there were only a handful of people smattering the place. 

He garnered looks the very first night he darkened the doorway but he'd bet all his money it was because he was new and not because they recognized him. The crowd didn't look like the type that paid attention to the who's Who of Hollywood or the type to listen to an all boy band pop group. He wasn't sure what their radio dials were set to. He wasn't interested in finding out. He wasn't interesting in much of anything these days.

Draining the last of his beer, Chris caught the eye of the lone waitress. A middle aged woman, well past her prime, wearing tight jeans and an even tighter shirt that not only had a neckline that showed off her well endowed chest but showed off the pounds around her middle. Her hair was dull and blonde (no doubt from a bottle). It looked lifeless like it had had one too many dye jobs. The heavily applied make up did nothing to hide her haggard appearance. Her voice was hoarse from smoking. Judging by as many cigarettes he'd seen her light up at night, she was definitely a pack-a-day woman.

He didn't know anyone's names though he knew their faces some of their stories and only because their voices had carried to him as they laid it all out for the bartender to hear. There was a guy who was supposed to be at an AA meeting. He came in once a week when the meetings were held. So far the man's wife was none the wise. Hearing the stories, he figured there were a lot of wives who didn't know just exactly what their husband's were doing.

He wasn't here to make friends. He had no right to judge any of them, but something told him he wouldn't have been their friend's anyway. This wasn't the type of place he frequented. When he walked into those places, he was greeted by name; handshakes, hugs and slaps on the back were handed out as he made his way around. Some nights, he was Chris Kirkpatrick, former boy band extraordinaire. Most nights he was just Chris. 

He didn't mind being known as a member of NSYNC. If it hadn't been for the group, it was hard to tell where he'd be. More than likely still working jobs and sending money to his mother and sisters. What-if's often crossed his mind. Once that Pandora's Box was open, it was hard for him to shut. It was a long, dark and windy road with so many twists and turns. Hard to tell where he'd come out in the end.

The biggest thing he always thought about was what if his four best friends hadn't found themselves on the same path. Lance had never been on the same path as the rest of them, they just sort of plucked him from Mississippi. What if JC's first trek to Los Angeles after The Mickey Mouse Club ended had yielded results? What if Justin had decided to break into the music world as a solo artist from the get-go? What if Lance's mom had said no to letting her sixteen-year-old son audition for the open slot in a group three states away. What if Jason - the original fifth member - stayed?

There were so many what-if's. So many instances in their young lives where could have taken a wrong turn. If they never found a label willing to take a chance on them... If they never broke through in Europe... If an RCA employee hadn't been in Budapest and happen to hear them sing... If they had been unable to get themselves out from under Lou. If the US audience didn't embrace them, deciding they didn't need another Backstreet Boys.

It was hard to imagine his life working paycheck to paycheck, eating ramen noodles to stretch a dollar. His mom still living in the rundown house instead of the lovely two-story home he purchased for her. His sister's working menial jobs for minimum wage because money for college wasn't anywhere near grasping. It was scary to think that way. He liked knowing his family was taken care of.

He didn't want to think of not knowing his four best friends. Sure he knew Joey and Justin, but he was no where near as close to them before the group. They were merely acquaintances. The men that knew all his secrets and closest skeletons and yet still loved him anyway. He couldn't imagine his life without the craziness of touring, award shows, interviews, performing in front of sold out stadiums. He was at the point in his life where people knew him, knew who he was but for the most part were cool about it. It had been years since he had someone freak out and start crying when they met him. Those reactions had been more for JC and Justin but he had his fair share of "#1 Fans".

Thinking about moments in life were daunting; knowing that one little thing could change the course. Once choice, one decision, one yes or no, could completely alter a path. 

Chris had been the founder of the group. It had been his idea to start the group. Aside from Lance, they weren't complete strangers to one another. Justin and JC knew each other from The Mickey Mouse Club. He knew Justin in passing and approached him about forming a group. Justin had said yes and brought JC into the fold. If Justin had said no, it would have created a domino effect.

JC might not have known about Chris's plans; Justin might not have mentioned the offering. JC could have also said 'no thanks'. Joey still might have made the group because Chris knew him from work. But JC really led them in Joey's direction since they were friends. Without Justin - forget about Lance. It was a vocal coach of Justin's who pointed them in Lance's direction. Then of course, Lance's mother could have said no. With Lance, added a whole knew book of worms in Chris's 'what-if' game.

When Lance joined the group, he brought his twin sister into the mix. Chris liked Rachel well enough but from almost the very beginning, she'd been JC's. Chris didn't want to think about those 'what-if's' concerning his friend's relationship and marriage. He had enough of that in his own department. Though he wondered, very briefly, if JC ever played the 'what-if' game.

If one choice went array when forming the group; if a no was uttered instead of a yes, then there would have been no way Chris would have met his wife.

At that thought, Chris took a long drink from his bottle. The cold liquid hit his mouth and slid down his throat to his belly. The alcohol pooled in his stomach, warming him. It could have been the alcohol that warmed him or his could have been thinking of Melissa. This time his heart clenched painfully inside his chest and he took another drink.

He knew the pain he was causing his wife. When he was able to gather the courage and look into her eyes he saw the hurt. It nearly crippled him. He could see the pain he was putting her through. A groan escaped and he shook his head removing the song lyrics whirling. Now was not the time to hear JC's voice. But it was true. He was putting Melissa through pain for his own insecurities. Insecurities he didn't even know he had until recently.

Chris was never one to believe he could have any girl he wanted. When the group rose to super stardom, he was already in his upper twenties. Did he go after the girls? Sure. After all he was still male. He knew they were only after one of two things: to say they slept with a member of NSYNC or to get to Justin. One didn't meet the one they were supposed to be with in a crowd of screaming girls holding up 'I-love-you' signs or on a TRL game show date. 

Stars dated three kinds of people. Obviously other stars. People who could further their career. Finally the obscure unknown girl from back home. Rarely was there something different.

He knew he would be the last option. He would never date another star. He definitely wouldn't be considered as someone "who-can-further-my-career". He wasn't one of the popular members by any means. He was the guy with the high voice, the guy with the braids, the guy with the devil horns in his facial hair. He wasn't the guy with the flat abs, a six-pack, moves that rivaled Michael Jackson... he was just Chris.

But somehow being 'just Chris' landed him the best woman in the world. His opinion was severely skewed and biased.

From the minute Melissa moved to Orlando with Rachel, he had liked her. Being the idiot he was -is- instead of pursuing her, asking her out, he got on her nerves, teased her, picked on her, and made her the target of his numerous practical jokes. He expected her to get mad, maybe even have Lance to him to stop. He never expected her to turn the tables on him. The moment he found himself caught up in one of her jokes had been a turning point. For him it had stopped being a simple crush. He had fallen in love.

The pudding incident had finally caused him to snap. Unable to hold back his feelings any longer he unleashed on her everything he had held back. When he was finally coherent enough to realize he was kissing her, he'd been afraid she'd slap him or push him away. Until he realized she was kissing him back just as feverishly.

He couldn't keep a reign on his emotions. He'd been holding back for months. It came together in one explosive kiss. When they finally parted, out of breath, they stared at each other. Their chests heaved as they tried to pull in the much needed oxygen. A glob of vanilla pudding fell from his hair plopping to the floor. Melissa had tried to stop a giggle but it escaped in a snort that started Chris laughing.

That had been the moment their feelings came out. It had been the start of their relationship. Coincidentally it had been the end of their practical jokes putting their efforts into much more satisfying endeavors. With a sigh, Chris took another drink of his beer. Ten years together. Seven of those as husband and wife. All ten of those years glorious, wonderful. He wouldn't trade them for anything. 

And yet here he sits at a dive bar, sipping on his beer alone. While his wife sits at home alone, wondering what she did wrong. He didn't know what to tell her because he didn't even know himself.

~*~

"I shouldn't have called and bothered you. You're in the middle of your tour. You're busy..."

"Bullshit Mel," Rachel sat up, leaving her feet across JC's lap. "Don't make excuses. You called me for a reason now spit it out."

"Maybe I just wanted to say hi."

"Melissa," Rachel nearly growled. "If you don't spit it out and tell me what's wrong, I'm coming down to Orlando and I'm gonna beat it out of you."

"Ha. You're in Pennsylvania and you got a show tomorrow."

"Trust me, I can make it down there, beat you up and be on stage in New York by seven tomorrow night."

"Sometimes I'm not sure how you two are still friends," JC said, shaking his head.

"I learned a long time ago this is how you have to deal with her. She over thinks and second guesses herself..."

"Does JC know about the very first song you wrote?"

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't..."

"JC," Melissa sang. "Why can't you seeeeee," she started giggling. "That you're the one for meeee...."

"I hate you." Rachel growled into the phone. Her words only caused Melissa to sing louder.

"Is she...singing?" JC asked leaning closer. He stared wide-eyed at his wife when she quickly hit the disconnect button.

"Lost the call..." She murmured her face red. It didn't take long for her phone to ring again; Melissa's face on the background. "I will hurt you," she said in lieu of a hello.

"What's the matter Rach? You don't think that's a number one hit?"

"Keep it up and I'll tell Justin who replaced his shampoo with crazy glue."

"That was Mel!" JC asked his eyes going wide again. That was one of the pranks during the time the group was together that no one fessed up to. Justin had been beyond angry. He had to shave his head as a result of the prank.

"Alright Mel, tell me what's going on," Rachel spoke softly. "If you want, I'll tell JC to go away so he won't overhear."

"It doesn't matter. You'll just tell him anyway."

"Not if you don't want me too, I won't."

"I think Chris is cheating on me." 

The statement caught Rachel off guard. She started to laugh. When Melissa stayed unnaturally quiet on the other end, she quickly stopped laughing. "Mel...what...why...I don't believe it." She shook her head. She could see the questions in JC's eyes. "There is no way."

"Rachel, I don't know what to think. He's distant. We don't talk like we used to. He's gone a lot... do you know what tonight was?" As Melissa thought about the ruined dinner, tears welled in her eyes.

"Do I know what tonight is?" Rachel repeated, her eyes catching JC's. He shrugged and shook his head. "Well, I do know it's not your birthday, it's not Chris's birthday and it's not your anniversary."

"Today is the anniversary of the day Chris and I got together."

"Ahh," Rachel nodded. "Thanks to you I can't eat vanilla pudding anymore."

"It's my favorite snack."

"I'll bet," Rachel said under her breath. "So what happened tonight? Did you have a fight?"

"I cooked dinner..."

"Wait a minute," Rachel broke in. "You cooked?"

"Rachel this is serious," Melissa snapped. "My marriage is falling apart."

Rachel closed her eyes and swallowed roughly. "I'm sorry, Mel. What happened?"

"We always do something on this night. It's special for us. It's just as special for us as our anniversary is; maybe a little more since if we didn't have this day, there wouldn't have been a wedding to celebrate an anniversary," Melissa was babbling; she knew. "I cooked dinner. Set the table with our nice dishes. There were candles and wine chilling. Soft music, lights low. I put a lot of effort into my appearance. I fixed my hair, did my make up. I had on a little black dress. I had everything ready."

"Then what?" Rachel asked softly. She reached out taking JC's hand in hers, entwining their fingers. She leaned the side of her head against the back of the couch.

"Then nothing. He didn't show. I sat at the dining room table while the candles burned and the wine warmed. He didn't call. He didn't text. He's still not home," Melissa wiped the tears from the back of her hand. "This hasn't been the only time. He's coming home late, doesn't tell me where he's been. I don't nag him like some wives do. He can do his own thing, you know? He doesn't have to check in with me or get permission. But it never used to be like this. Before, I always knew where he was. He'd tell me without my asking. I'd get a phone call or a text. Sometimes, most times, he'd take me with them. I can't remember the last time he's done that. We're living in the same house Rachel, but we're not living together."

"God Mel..." Rachel breathed listening to her best friend's words. The jokes and laughter they had shared only minutes earlier seemed like a long time ago. "Have you tried to talk to him?"

"Of course! It gets us nowhere. I can't make a conversation out of one word replies. I get so mad when he answers questions like that. I just give up."

"There has to be something going on Mel..."

"Yeah he's cheating on me."

"Mel," Rachel sighed. "I don't think he's cheating on you. Come on... Chris loves you. You are the only woman in the world strong enough to put up with him. You're liable for sainthood."

"Do you know the last time we had sex?"

"Uhm," a smile teased her lips and she coughed. "I'll have to check my date book. I think I have it circled... Oh yup. Here it is. Mel and Chris did the nasty."

"Can you tell me the date? Because I don't remember."

Rachel blinked. "Don't remember? What do you mean you don't remember?"

"Exactly what you think I mean. I don't remember. I couldn't tell you the last time we made love. Any longer and I'm gonna have to consult Wikipedia for diagrams and charts. I need someone to remind me. It's just been so long. I don't remember the last time we actually kissed and I mean more than just a peck on the lips."

"Seriously?" Rachel's eyes widened. "The phrase 'get-a-room' was coined because of you and Chris."

"Well, yeah..." Melissa sighed heavily. "That's not us anymore. If we get any further apart, we'll be in separate rooms. God Rachel... I love him. My world revolves around Chris. I don't know what I'd do..." she broke off feeling a lump rise in her throat as her eyes filled with tears. "I just want to feel that way again," she continued when she got control over her emotions. Somewhat. "I want to hold him close."

Rachel's eyes widened and she swung her legs from JC's lap and let go of his hand. She waved her hand in the air in a writing motion. Her husband knew exactly what she wanted as he jumped off the couch. They both wrote a lot of songs and they each knew that inspiration hit at weird times. You never questioned it; you just went along with it.

"He hasn't said 'I-love-you', to me in a long time," Melissa wiped at a tear that escaped and rolled down her cheek. "I guess he still does. I know he loved me. But I want to hear that again! I want to hear that he loves me!" She placed emphasis on the present tense. "Maybe he just assumes I know. I should know but damnit. I don't. A couple years ago - hell, last year! - I would know. I wouldn't doubt it. I knew for a fact he loved me. But now, lying here right now I don't know that Rachel. And that's what scares me the most. I don't know if my husband loves me anymore."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

With a final glance at her appearance, Melissa flipped the light off in the bathroom and stepped into the bedroom. The mid-morning Florida sun shone through the curtains. She walked to her dresser and sifted through her jewelry box for a necklace. The mirror on the dresser revealed the king sized bed behind her. Half the bed had the blankets smoothed and tucked beneath the pillows. The other half supported the lump of her still sleeping husband. 

She felt the tears start to well in her eyes and she blinked furiously trying to hold them at bay before they ran down her face and ruined the makeup she just painstakingly applied. Chris had walked in the house around three in the morning. She known the time because she had still been awake, unable to sleep even after the long talk she had with Rachel. It hadn't stopped her from pretending to be sleeping when Chris quietly made his way into the bedroom heading straight for the shower. It had taken everything in her not to smell his clothes in the hamper this morning in search of perfume. He had slipped into bed in a cloud of his body wash and shaving cream. It made her heat hurt and she longed for the nights past when Chris would roll over and gather her in his arms and pull her back against his chest. Now when her husband slips into bed he turns on his side with his back to her and goes to sleep.

Melissa shook her head, brushing away the events from last night. If she continued to think about it, she'd remember how she cried herself to sleep. If she thought about how she cried, she'd start crying again. 'Make up Mel; make up,' she told herself. She found the necklace she wanted and clasp it around her neck. Looking in the mirror again, she frowned. Upon further inspection she could still see the bags beneath her eyes from the lack of sleep. Her eyes were dull and lacked the shine their normally held.

On a whim she made herself smile. The movement was almost foreign to her. It used muscles that she hadn't used in awhile. While her lips formed a smile, her eyes remained dreary and dead-like. Empty. Her eyes were empty. She let the smile fall from her face and grabbed the bottle of perfume; the same kind of scent Chris had bought her many years ago for the first time. It was a staple for her. It made her feel special knowing that Chris had stood surrounded by bottles and bottles of perfume, testing each one until he came across one he liked. It wasn't a scent she would have picked for herself, but it grew on her. If the company ever discontinued the scent, she didn't know what she'd do. It didn't look like Chris would be picking out another favorite scent any time soon.

Before leaving the room she glanced at the bed one final time and wondered again if she should wake him. She was nervous enough about this meeting; her personal problems were making things worse. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, let Chris wrap her up in his arms and assure her that everything would be okay; that she could do anything. But she couldn't do that. Not now; maybe never again. Before the tears could start again, she touched her fingers to her lips and turned from the room.

Melissa by passed the dining room table were the remnants of last nights failed dinner still remained. Normally dishes were done before she went to bed, but she couldn't make herself tear down the setting she made last night in hopes of putting her marriage on track. Or maybe it was because she couldn't bear to face the proof that her marriage was over. Whichever it was, she didn't want to deal with it. She wasn't ready to face that possibility.

Right now she couldn't think of her marriage. She had to focus all her energy on the meeting she was going to be late to if she didn't get a move on. She grabbed her purse, double checking to make sure she had her billfold, phone and car keys before heading out the door.

The Florida humidity stole her breath the moment she stepped outside. You'd think she'd be used to it after living in Florida after so many years but some days it still managed to shock her. Once in her car, she kicked on the AC full blast while Miley Cyrus belted out how she came in like a wrecking ball. She quickly turned the top-40 station to a country station and smiled hearing her best friend.

"And the preacher said he was a good man," she sang along to one of Rachel's number one hits. It was one of her favorite songs. She couldn't wait for Rachel's Blown Away tour to hit Orlando in a couple weeks. There wouldn't be a lot of time to spend her friend, but she'd take what she can get.

Growing up she'd always assumed they be together always. Go to the same college, live in the same neighborhood (neighbors if they could), get married and have kids around the same time. But life sure didn't work out like that. Lance moved to Orlando and joined a boy band that subsequently blew up in the United States. Rachel moved to Orlando and fell in love with a member of her brother's boy band and like the best friend that she was, followed the Bass' to Orlando and fell in love with a boy band member.

Melissa supposed it all worked out. They never made it to college but they toured the United States and many other countries together. So she could pass that off as sort of college. She was definitely schooled. Of course the topics would have never been taught in a classroom, but what could you expect touring with five guys.

The hiatus came and everything still went to plan. Rachel married first with her and Chris following not too long behind. But then the hiatus never ended and the group started moving in different directions; meaning Rachel was pulled away from her. While she stayed in Orlando with Chris, JC started out on his own solo attempt with Rachel at his side. She could still remember the tearful phone calls from her best friend wondering why he wasn't garnering the same success as Justin had.

Melissa had no answers. She didn't know why America had embraced one member of NSYNC while almost shunning the other one. She was probably the most surprised when Rachel told her she was going to dip her toes into the music business after JC's failed attempt. Melissa thought for sure that after the music business turned their back on JC, Rachel would never think about doing it, but she did and she became one of top selling country artists. JC was happier behind the scenes writing songs for Rachel, producing songs for her.

The only thing that sucked was the fact that her best friend lived in Los Angeles while she was still in Orlando. They were three thousand miles apart. That certainly hadn't been part of her childhood plans. She wondered if she would be happier right now if she had children? There was nothing stopping her and Chris from procreating. Not like she had a fifty stadium tour going on or anything.

She loved kids and wouldn't mind a couple mini Chris's running around. Thinking of Chris made her frown. At the state of their marriage it was probably best they didn't have kids. They would certainly feel the tension between mommy and daddy. The last thing she wanted was to drag kids through a divorce. She didn't want her family to boil down to every other weekend and missed holidays.

Traffic was considerably light and in no time at all Melissa was pulling into the parking lot adjacent to the commercial building. She put her car in park and let out a breath, relaxing into the seat. With a glance at the clock on the dash she knew she didn't have much time. Turning the engine off, she dropped her keys in her purse, removing her phone. A glance at the locked screen told her she had no new messages. Chris hadn't text her. Her heart broke a little.

'I haven't been this nervous since our 2nd grade play.' She text to Rachel.

'You puked all over Alison Marcus.'

'You forget nothing do you?' Melissa answered Rachel's text.

'Never!'

'Don't be nervous Mel! You got this! I know you do! They loved it; I know they did!'

The texts came in rapt succession.

'They'll be stupid not to snatch you up!'

'Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rach.' She added a kissing emoticon and sent the text. She climbed from her car and made her way toward the building. At the doors she took a deep breath and forced it out slowly hoping to dispel some of the butterflies in her stomach.

With a final glance at her phone, she put it on silent and let it fall down into her purse. It didn't look like she'd be getting Chris's vote of confidence this morning. If he even remembered...

*~*

Chris rolled over in bed after hearing the front door close behind his wife. He wondered briefly where Melissa had gone before he realized he probably should have known. He racked his brain for something, anything that Melissa mentioned to him recently but he came up empty. It was weird for her to leave without waking him. That brought a smile to his face. Anytime Melissa had to leave before he was out of bed for the day, she'd leave him sleep and get ready quietly. Before she would leave she'd kiss him awake. She'd tell him she loved him and he'd try his damnedest to get her back into bed.

He sighed longingly for the days passed. Days where he was still helplessly, hopelessly in love with his wife

That wasn't right. He was still helplessly, hopelessly in love with Melissa. He loved her more now than he did the very first day he told her he loved her.

'Then what the hell is your problem? Get your fat ass out of bed and call your wife. Tell her! Tell her you love her.'

'She knows.'

'Does she?'

The question brought him up short. Did Melissa know he loved her? Of course she knew. She had to know how much he loved her; how important she was to him.

'If you were any kind of husband you wouldn't be questioning that right now.'

"What the hell do you know?" Chris spat out loud.

'That you're being a dickhead and if you don't shape up you're gonna lose her.' 

A pain ripped through his chest at the thought of losing his wife. It struck him then that he'd been thinking about that often. Losing Mel. He always knew he was a lucky son-of-a-bitch to wind up with Melissa. He had definitely married up. He always thought one day she'd realize she could do better than him and leave but each year he was surprised as they celebrated another anniversary. 

'You'll get your wish this year.'

Chris growled out loud and threw back the covers, crawling from the bed. Melissa's perfume lingered in the air and he took a deep breath, breathing it in. He still remembered how out of place he felt in the store, how lost. There were bottles upon bottles lining the shelves. He didn't know where to begin. A saleslady took pity on his overwhelmed face and helped him out. After talking about his relationship with Melissa and his likes and dislikes, they were able to settle on a bottle; a particularly small bottle for the cost, but he loved the scent and knew Melissa would fall in love with it as well.

'She will definitely appreciate this' the sales lady had told him. 'If a man buys a woman perfume she'll wear it knowing he picked it out.'

She had been right of course. Melissa fell in love with the perfume and wore it constantly. There was always a slight hint of it in their bedroom. Sometimes he'd catch it on his clothes at random times while he was out. It would stop his heart and make him long for Melissa.

'Just talk to her!'

'I don't know what to say! Don't you think I want to?'

'I love you would be a nice start.'

Christ sighed and stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. A haggard old man stared back at him. When did he become old? There were wrinkles around his eyes and grey in his hair. There was an extra twenty pound around his waist and that was being nice. His knees cracked when he stood and his back ached.

God - he was forty-two years old. When did that happen?

'Every October seventeenth?'

Chris groaned. He needed to find a way to shut that voice up. Before he came, he was fine. He loved his wife, made love to his wife and actually spent time at home with his wife.

'Sure blame it on me.'

"It is your fault!" Chris shouted. He gripped the sink and lowered his head taking a deep breath and blowing it out. He repeated the process a couple times. He needed to calm down.

'How is it my fault? You're the one that realized you're old. Then you started acting like an asshole to his wife. Well maybe not an asshole, that probably would be better than ignoring her.'

Chris stripped his clothes and climbed into the shower even through he had only taken one a few hours before. The shower walls were still wet from Melissa's shower and he had to shut off his brain thinking about his wife naked in the shower. His body responded though. It had been weeks since he made love to his wife; weeks since he had any kind of released. With the hot water beating down on him, he gripped his hardness in his hand grunting at the contact.

It was embarrassing how quick his release came. His moan echoed off the wall so loud leaving little to the imagination of what he was doing. His seed spilled onto the floor of the shower where the water carried it down the drain. After, he quickly washed and stepped out of the shower feeling no better than before.

When he was dressed, Chris made his way downstairs in the quiet house. He froze in his spot when he saw the dining room table. Very slowly he walked toward the table, as if something would jump out at him. He took in the two place settings, recognizing the good dishes only reserved for dinner parties with family and friends for special occasions. His heart started beating faster. Food was dished out; what once was crisp salad was now limp in the bowl. The bread basket, complete with a maroon towel, held biscuits. A touch revealed they were hard. The wine bucket set on the serving style buffet. A bottle of wine sat inside surrounded by warm water. Two candles, melted halfway down, sat in holders. The smoothness of the candles was ruined by the dried wax that had rolled down.

"You stupid son of a bitch," Chris said staring at the table. "You worthless piece of shit." While he had been sitting at the bar wallowing in his beer over his depressive state, Melissa had been sitting at their dining room table, a hot meal cooling, candles burning - alone. "Fuck!" He yelled and brought his fists down on the table. The dishes rattled with the force.

He thought he couldn't feel any lower than he had been feeling. He was wrong. The thought of Melissa sitting at the table waiting for him to come home and the feeling she had when as the minutes passed he didn't show, was crippling. 

'She probably cried...'

That made him want to die. Thinking of Melissa crying over him. He had reduced her to tears. There was no doubt she had cried over him last night.

'You don't deserve her, Kirkpatrick. You never did. She deserves someone much better than you.' He ranted to himself. 'You always knew you were getting the better part of the deal. Marrying up.'

Chris didn't know what to do. It was too late to make up the botched dinner. An apology would only go so far. He sighed. He was beyond screwed. Hallmark didn't make a card for this big of a screw up. This was beyond the card and flowers apology. Even jewelry wouldn't help.

Not knowing what to do, he started clearing the table. It was the least he could do. He took the dishes to the kitchen, scrapping the food down the garbage disposal. Once the food was disposed of he set about doing the dishes by hand; the nearly scalding water welcome. He dried them and put them back in the hutch. The wine glasses were returned to the cupboard; the wine to the fridge. He tossed the candles and put the holders back in the drawers in the hutch. The empty bread basket went back into the cupboard in the buffet table, alone with the wine bucket. All that was left on the table were the place mats, cloth dinner napkins and the napkin she used for the bread.

'Laundry,' he thought and reached out pulling the items to him. He paused hearing something hit the floor. Glancing down he saw a red envelope. He bent down to pick it up and saw his name written across the front in Melissa's cursive handwriting.

Christopher

He briefly contemplated not opening the card before curiosity got the better of him. Tossing the laundry down on the table, he tore into the card. As he read the words, he started to tear up. The beautiful words written just for him. "Oh no. No. No. No. No. No!" He chanted and searched his pockets for his phone but it wasn't there. With the card still in his hand, he ran upstairs to the bedroom, his heart racing. It couldn't be - there was no way he would have forgotten. It wasn't possible, but he had the sinking feeling it was. 

"Shit. Shit. Shit." He grabbed his phone from the night stand and pressed the button, brining up the locked screen. The date glared back at him; mocking him.

It was official. He missed the anniversary of the date he and Melissa finally stopped messing around and got serious.

He was fucked.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"You don't understand, Justin," Chris was nearly hysterical. "I missed our anniversary!"

"You didn't miss your anniversary," Justin rolled his eyes. "Your anniversary isn't until October."

"I told you," he said impatiently, beginning to wonder why he even called his younger friend in the first place. "This is the anniversary of the day we started dating. This is huge!"

"Women," Justin scoffed. "They remember every little thing: the date of the day you met, the day of your first kiss, when you first had sex. It's crazy man!"

"I happen to like that."

"Buy her jewelry or take her on vacation somewhere. When was the last time you got out of Orlando?"

"This is beyond jewelry or a trip, Justin." Chris sighed frustrated.

"I'm not sure what you want from me Chris." Justin finally said.

Chris didn't know either. That seemed to be his problem lately. He didn't know. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He didn't know why he was putting Melissa through this. He didn't know what his problem was. How could this happen to him?

"Chris?"

Justin's voice brought him back. He had forgotten he was still on the phone. What was happening to him?

"What's going on man? Talk to me." The laughter and teasing had left Justin's voice. He grew serious when he realized there was something seriously troubling his friend.

"I don't know Justin. I don't know." It was the first honest thing Chris had told himself.

Now Justin was truly worried for his friend. "Do I need to come there?"

Chris laughed humorlessly. "You're on tour moron." 

"Fuck it. If you need me I'm there." 

"Thanks Man." Chris was touched Justin would even offer such a thing. "But you don't need to go mess up your tour. There's not enough tissues to dry up the tears from the groupies over your cancelled shows."

"Alright, but if you start giving away things I'm there in a heartbeat to kick your ass. And you know how pissed how Johnny can get when schedules are messed with."

"I remember," Chris chuckled. 

"Why don't you and Mel come on tour with me?" Justin offered after a few minutes of silence. He couldn't remember the last time there had been silence on a phone call between them. There were always laughs and jokes.

"I can't man," Chris sighed. "C's coming in a couple weeks. I can't remember the date, but Rachel's tour stops here in Orlando. Mel's been talking about it for months. It's the one thing she's been excited for."

"Excited for JC to be coming to town?" Justin said the teasing back in his voice. "You need to step up your game man."

"Shit," Chris cursed. "Like she'd go after his skinny ass."

"Yeah," Justin laughed. "The last thing she'd go after is a man she could snap in half. Case in point... she married you."

"Fuck off."

"You offering?"

"Fuck; I'd go after Lance before I'd go after your ass."

"What's wrong with my ass? There are plenty of women - and men - who would attest that my ass is fiiine!"

"Yeah and they are all on your payroll." Chris laughed as Justin let off a litany of curses. His head snapped up when he heard the front door open. "I gotta go J." He didn't even give Justin a chance to say good-bye. He pulled the phone from his ear and quickly hit the end call. Tossing the phone done on the couch he quickly stood and met his wife in hall at the front door. A greeting died on his lips when he saw her face.

"What's wrong?" Chris said immediately going to her. "What happened?"

"Like you care," Melissa snapped letting the door close behind her. She hugged the manila folder to her chest. The tears rolled down her cheeks and she moved to go past her husband but he caught her arm.

"Melissa...Baby, please talk to me," he pleaded softly. "Tell me what's wrong." His heart broke hearing his wife's soft cries, seeing her tears. He tried to block out the image of her doing this last night.

"Well this is a switch," Melissa stared at her husband, using a free hand to wipe away the tears on her cheek. "You begging me to tell you what's wrong. Usually I'm the one begging you to talk to me. Since we've seen to have switched roles, I'll tell you what you always tell me. Nothing. I'm fine."

She brushed past him making her way further into the house. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to throw the manila folder to the ground and stomp on his. She wanted to tear up the papers inside and light them on fire. Watch with satisfaction as they curl and blacken, turning to dust and blowing away in the wind. She wanted to scream and cry and throw things. She wanted to run into Chris's arms and have his arms wrap around her holding her tight making everything bad go away.

She couldn't do that though. Not now, maybe not ever again.

"Mel..." Chris's plea fell on deaf ears. His wife was already walking away. Pain ripped through his chest and he thought for sure he was having a heart attack. But he stayed on his feet and his heart kept beating. The pain, however, stayed. 'Fix this!' His heart screamed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let it out slowly as if he was preparing for battle. In some ways, he was.

In the bedroom, Mel kicked off her heels leaving them lay in the middle of the floor. In the bathroom she turned on the water at the sink letting it run as she looked in the mirror. "You look like shit..." she told her reflection. Her mascara had started to run down her cheek. Her lipstick had been long gone thanks to a fast food napkin in the car, along with some of her foundation. All wiped away while she tried to dry her tears.

"You're beautiful."

Melissa looked at her husband's reflection in the mirror as he stood in the doorway, almost afraid to come in. She fought to harden her heart, not willing to give in to him because it would be all too easy. It wouldn't solve a thing.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Chris asked breaking the threshold. "Don't try to comfort you? Don't tell you - my wife - that you're beautiful. Don't try to find out what's wrong, why you've come home in tears?"

"All of the above and more," she broke the eye contact and splashed water on her face, scrubbing to remove the traces of make up. "You want to fix these tears. Go run and beat up the bad man who mad me cry?"

Chris stiffened; his eyes narrowed as he felt a shot of anger shoot through him. "What man? Who made you cry? Who hurt you? What did he do? Tell me right now Mel and I'll go have a little talk with him."

Normally when Chris got protective of her it made her heart melt. Right now, it just mad her angry. She took a towel from the rack and dried her face. Putting it on the counter she reached for her husband's arm and pulled him in front of the sink. She moved back and pointed to the mirror. "There he is," she stared into her husband's brown eyes through the reflective glass. "There is the cause for ninety-nine percent of my tears for awhile now. So yell at him. Hit him, beat him up. Do what you need to do to defend my honor or whatever."

"Mel..." Chris started, but his wife had quickly left the room. He groaned and followed her; her voice still ringing in his head. He had been the cause of her tears lately. If he could beat himself up he would. If he knew it would work, he'd knock himself out. "Please stop walking away from me and talk to me."

"Like I've been begging you to do? Sucks when the shoe's on the other foot doesn't it? Now you know how I've been feeling when I've tried to get you to talk to me," Melissa quickly pulled her outfit off and rooted through her closet for something a little more comfortable.

"I know I've been an ass..."

"Oh well, that let's you off the hook," Melissa said sarcastically. "So you do know you've been an asshole to me. I thought I was the only who noticed that you've seem to forget that you're even married."

"I haven't forgotten!" Chris snipped.

"Oh good, so you do remember you have a wife. So that means you just don't care."

"That's not true! I care Mel!"

"Riiight," Melissa laughed humorlessly. "Tell me Chris, since you care so much..."

'Warning!' His mind shouted at him.

"Where was I today, huh?" Melissa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Tell me. If you cared so much, tell me where I was today and what would have happened to have me in tears."

Chris stared at her wide-eyed. His brain frantically searched through every memory trying to find out where Melissa would have been today. What she would have been doing to reduce her to tears.

'Please tell me,' Melissa begged. 'Come on Chris. Surprise me and tell me you know where I was. Tell me you remember.' Her husband remained silent. She stared at him, frozen to one spot. His lips parted but he made no move to answer her question. Her heart twisted and a lump filled her throat making it hard to breath. Her shoulders sagged in concession. Tears welled up in her eyes and she closed them trying to block the tears.

"I want you to leave." 

"What?" Chris asked, blinking in surprise. Surely he had heard wrong.

"I want a divorce."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"What have I done?" Melissa moaned laying her head on her folded arms of the small table that imitated a dining room table on Rachel's tour bus. Another wave of tears hit and kept her head buried, not wanting her friend to see. It wasn't as if Rachel hadn't dried her tears every day since she showed up out of the blue in Boston.

"It's gonna be alright, Mel." Rachel reached out placing a comforting hand on Melissa's arm. Her heart broke for Melissa. Now that they were face to face, she was able to read her friend's face as she talked about the past months of marriage. It was easy to be sarcastic and cut jokes over the phone or through text but seeing the hurt and hopelessness on Melissa's face had erased every one of her, 'Chris loves you Mel' responses.

"How's it gonna be alright?" Melissa lifted her head to stare at Rachel. She couldn't imagine how she looked and for once she didn't care. Her life was falling apart; swollen, bloodshot eyes, tearstained, blotchy cheeks were the least of her worries. "I asked my husband for a divorce. I left him!"

"I know. I'm just saying that maybe coming up here and staying with me for a bit will help. It will get you guys back on track."

"I don't even know the way to the track. I feel like I'm lost in the middle of the forest and wondering around in circles trying to find the trail. I don't want a divorce Rachel. I love Chris. I've loved him for years. I love him just as much as I did when I opened my eyes to him. More. I love him more now than I did back then," a tear trickled down her cheek and Rachel started to blur in front of her. She took a wavering breath. "I'm Melissa Kirkpatrick. I don't know how to be someone else."

"You're still Melissa Kirkpatrick."

"If I lose Chris... Who am I without Chris?"

"You're not going to lose Chris," Rachel told her friend again.

"What am I supposed to do?" Melissa asked. "He wasn't talking to me. Every time I asked what was wrong, the answer was always, 'nothing' or 'I'm fine'. He stayed out all hours of the night. I never knew where he was. We haven't made love in weeks. I haven't even caught him yanking off in the shower. If I'm not getting him off and he's not getting himself off, then who is? Chris can't go more than a day without sex. I should know, I've been on the receiving end for ten years now."

"I'm having a hard time believing Chris is cheating on you. I know I'm not around you guys everyday like the old days. But man Mel - Chris loved you. He was nuts about you. He would do anything you wanted him to. His world revolved around you."

"It did," Melissa felt the tears welling in her eyes. "I once was his whole world. That was such a long time ago. The feelings have changed. He doesn't love me like he used to. We've been together so long; he just didn't know how to end it."

"If that's true," Rachel said her heart hurting at her friend's tears. "When I'm through with him, he'll be singing higher than anyone ever thought possible."

"You're the best," Melissa sent her a small smile. "I'm sorry I'm putting you in the middle. Chris is your friend too. I don't want to cause problems between you and JC."

"Why would you cause problems with me and JC?"

"Because JC's been friends with Chris a lot longer than he's been friends with me. Hell, he probably doesn't even like me of all I know. Just tolerates me because I'm your best friend."

Rachel was already shaking her head before Melissa finished. "Shut up Mel. JC doesn't 'tolerate' you because of me. He loves you. He's pretty ticked at Chris right now for how he's treating you."

"You're just telling me that."

"Would I ever do that?"

"Yes," Melissa said immediately. "In the eight grade you told me the zit on my face wasn't noticeable. You know how many odes Mike recited to me?"

"Well about anything important? Besides Mike was doing that because he liked you."

"He did not!"

Rachel nodded. "He did."

"You're a liar. How did you know?"

"He asked me if you were dating someone. I told him your boyfriend was doing five to ten."

Melissa's jaw dropped. "You did not!"

"I did." 

"Why would you do that?"

"You wanted to date Mike Clark? Ew!"

"Guess I'll never get the change now huh?"

"You probably could. Stacy told me he's divorcing his third wife. You can step in and raise his four kids."

"Have Stacy get his number. I got to keep my options open."

"You can't be serious."

"In case you've forgotten, my marriage is over. My husband has a life that doesn't involve me. I'm crying my eyes out on a tour bus in Boston. He's probably celebrating that I'm gone with his new woman. How am I supposed to start over Rachel? It's like my life just started when I met Chris. He was the one from the beginning. Sure I fought it, but I knew. Chris is my life. I used to be his. Somewhere along the way, I stopped being his."

*~*

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked, squinting his eyes at the setting sun that blasted the front of his house at this time of day. 

"Here to help you from making one of the biggest mistakes of your life," JC said, pushing the strap to his bag further up his shoulder. When he opened the door that afternoon to Melissa, he knew he was heading to Orlando. 

"One of the biggest? What are the others?"

"Those horns in your beard," Joey Fatone stepped up behind JC.

"Or the braids," JC said, making his way into Chris's house. 

"Neither of you assholes have any room to talk," Chris shut his door after Joey moved past him resigned to having houseguests. 

"Are you alone?"

Chris stared at JC, his face blank. "Considering the fact that you're here means Melissa is with Rachel. So you already know the answer to that.

"What JC meant to ask, but he's too much of a pussy, is do you have the whore you're cheating on Mel with here? Mel's gone so you don't have to sneak around. Just invite her over to the house you share with your wife."

JC moved quickly but he was too slow to stop Chris from shoving Joey up against the wall.

"You got something to say?" Chris twisted his fists into Joey's shirts, pushing him into the wall.

"Chris let him go," JC said trying to get Chris to release his grip. 

"Yeah, you are a fucking idiot," Joey stared at Chris, his eyes unwavering. "You just let the best woman walk away from you."

"She walked away from me!" Chris gritted through his teeth. "She left me!"

"Because you cheated on her! Newsflash Chris, people don't like that. They like their spouses to be faithful."

"I didn't cheat on Mel. I never cheated on her. Ever! Never even thought about it! Where did you hear that?" Chris watched Joey as he looked at JC. Chris turned his sights on JC.

JC glared at Joey, already regretting calling in reinforcements. "Can we get some beers? I have a feeling we're gonna need some."

"Tell me why you think I cheated on my wife?" He let go of Joey, turning his attention on JC.

"Careful Chris, you shove JC against the wall, you're liable to break him in half. He doesn't have the padding I do," Joey said, straightening his shirt. "Harm a bone in his body, you're gonna have Ms. Country Superstar on your ass.... not that I wouldn't mind - " he trailed off seeing JC's glare. "Well, she is hot in case you didn't know it." 

"I know it Joey. Trust me." 'I should have called Lance,' JC thought.

"Can you stop talking about your wife for one minute and focus back on mine?"

"So you do remember you have a wife."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me."

"You seem to know all about my marriage."

"Which is fucking sad when you think about it," Joey said.

"Fuck you, Joey."

"Not my type."

JC pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have stayed in Boston. Two man-hating women, crying, pigging out on chocolate, watching every romcom known to man is better than the two of you."

"What did you expect C?" Joey asked as he went into the kitchen helping himself to a beer. He grabbed one for JC and another for Chris.

"For you two to act like adults," JC twisted of the top and took a drink. The alcohol was refreshing.

Joey snorted. "How long have you known us?"

"Point taken."

"Why do you think I'm cheating on Mel?" Chris asked after a moment of silence. "Where did you hear that I am?"

"From Melissa."

Chris felt the sock in the gut as sure as JC had just punched him. "Wh-what?" He was finally able to push the word out through his constricted throat.

"Melissa told Rachel she thought you were cheating on her. That was the reason you were never home; why you guys haven't... well - you know," JC felt himself blush, "in months."

"You haven't had sex with your wife in months?" Joey asked incredulously. He had gotten the shorten version of Chris's and Melissa's problems over the phone from JC. What JC had mentioned was enough to warrant him to fly to Florida and meet JC. "I don't fucking believe it. You and Mel? No way. You guys were notorious at getting caught doing the nasty. You couldn't keep your hands off each other."

"Melissa thinks I'm cheating?" During his many nights out he had never thought Melissa would think he was cheating.

"What else is she supposed to think, Chris? You stay out late, shower when you get home --"

Joey sucked in a breath. "Oh that's bad."

"You don't tell her where you're going or where you've been. What is she supposed to think?"

She's supposed to trust me!"

"Because you've been so forthcoming?"

"You seem to know an awful lot about my marriage."

"Because she calls Rachel in tears, which usually gets Rachel in tears and she's hurting because she doesn't know how to help her best friend except to castrate you which I had to talk her out of plenty of times. You're welcome."

"Are you cheating on Mel?"

"No!" Chris said vehemently. "I have never cheated on Mel! I've never ever thought about it. I love her!"

"Then what is going on Chris?"

"I don't know."

JC sighed and finished off the rest of his beer in one swallow. This was going to be a long night.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

'I hope you're having better luck than I am.' JC sent the text to his wife the next day. It was early afternoon before he was coherent enough to get his fingers to move across the screen of his phone. The alcohol had flown freely last night. Even with liquid courage, Chris still never opened up.

'You haven't learned anything from Chris?'

'Just how much my tolerance has sunk.' A hot shower would definitely clear the cobwebs from his head. Advil will kick the headache. He hoped. 

'Haha.'

'Not funny. In between drinking I was refereeing Joey and Chris. They've gotten worse. Joey can piss Chris off with a single sentence. It used to take a lot longer.'

'Whatever is going on with them, Chris has all the answers because Mel has no idea what's going on. She's completely clueless.'

JC was afraid of that. He sighed. He had hoped Melissa would have been able to shed some light on what was going on between them. At least steer him in a direction that would get Chris to open up. 'Chris was bowled over when he found out Mel thought he was cheating. He was adamant that wasn't the case. He says he's never cheated on her or even thought about it. I believe him.'

'Thank God. I'd have taken a cheese grader to his dick.'

JC winced and instinctively cupped his own manhood. 'Thanks for that.'

'Sorry. ;) Forgot how sensitive men where.'

He could almost hear the giggle. A soft smile grew on his lips. 'I miss you.' A picture came through then. His wife was sans make up, her blonde hair left down around her face. Her yellow-green eyes were bright; her smile was soft and knowing. He ached to be with her. 'Still as beautiful as the day I met you.' He groaned as the text sent. It was so corny.

'Flattery will get you everywhere. I love you JC.'

Rachel's show was in DC that night. After the show was over, she would jump back on the tour bus for her show in Atlanta the next night. There was a show in Jacksonville the following night before she arrived in Orlando in three days. They had three days to figure out the problem between Melissa and Chris before Melissa arrived back home.

'I love you too. More than you'll ever know.' He sat up in bed, tossing the covers away. He needed to jump in the shower and clear the fuzz away. Then he needed to find some Advil and food. He wondered how hung-over Joey was and if he could still whip something up. Of course that depended on Chris having food in kitchen. First up shower, then he'd rouse the other two and hope they'd gotten everything out of their system yesterday and they could actually carry on a normal conversation.

JC stood and looked at the picture of his wife one more time. 'I definitely married up.' His eyes widened as a thought came to him.

"Shit." He cursed and rushed to quickly shower.

*~*

"He didn't have to leave." Melissa said as she took a drink from the water bottle in front of her. She knew Rachel had been texting JC just by the smile on her face.

"He doesn't do to well with crying females." Rachel pushed her phone away and reached across the table. She took Melissa's hands and gave them a squeeze. "How are you doing today?"

"I left my husband Rachel," Melissa's eyes filled with tears. "How could I do that? I love him."

"Then march your butt back down to Orlando and you give him an ultimatum. Tell him you love him; you don't want a divorce. You're gonna give him another chance, but he has to come clean. He has to tell you what has been going on. No more bullshit. No more half answers. You can forgive him and you can move on together."

It all sounded so easy.

"What if he tells me he's cheated on me? Can I forgive him for that? I swore I would never stay with a man who cheated on me. I don't deserve that."

"No you don't." Rachel said matter-of-factly. "You deserve better than that."

"I made that before I was ever in love. Before I ever knew what the feeling was. I find myself thinking late at night when I can't sleep that I don't care if he cheated on me. I still love him. I can over look," she swallowed roughly. "An indiscretion."

"Are you sure?" Rachel questioned.

"I don't know," Melissa whispered. "One minute I'm willing to let it go and work to get passed this as long as it never happens again. Then the next thing I know I'm angry and pissed off and wondering if I want the house or if I should go back to my maiden name and move back to Mississippi. 

"Then that opens up a whole other can of worms," she continued. "What am I gonna do? The one thing I want to do, I was just told I suck at."

"Your meeting with the editor didn't go too well?" Rachel had been meaning to ask about the book Melissa had written and was shopping it around to find an editor and a publisher. Everything had just blown up before she had the chance.

Melissa shook her head. "They didn't like it."

"Oh Mel," Rachel got out of her seat and quickly scooted around the table to sit next to Melissa. "That's a bunch of bull. That book was ten times better than anything I've read in the past five years. They were stupid to turn you down!"

"I've always wanted to be a writer. I thought while I was being a wife and a mother, I could pen bestsellers. Now my dreams are falling apart."

"No they aren't," Rachel said forcefully, while praying that JC made headway with Chris today. "One editor turned you down. There are many more out there. You take your book to someone else. You keep going until there aren't anymore. If need be, you release it yourself digitally. I'll promote the shit out of it. JC will. So will Lance."

"Chris didn't know I had a meeting with an editor." Melissa said after a moment, wiping at her tears with her fingers. "I came home in tears and he had no idea what was wrong." She gave a short laugh. "He wanted... he wanted to go out and immediately hurt the person who made me cry."

"Because he loves you," Rachel said softly. "It's his job to stand up for you, protect you, dry your tears..."

"He's been the source of my tears for awhile now."

"I know he has," Rachel laid her head against Melissa's. She wished Chris was in front of her right now. She'd blacken his eye. "I wish he'd pull his head out of his ass."

"What would you do?" She turned her head to look at her best friend. "If you found out JC was cheating on you? If our roles were reversed and you were the one with all these questions?"

Rachel sucked in her breath. A hand squeezed her heart. The thought of JC cheating on her left her breathless. What would she do if JC cheated on her? It took her a minute to answer. "I'd like to say I would get in JC's face and not let up until I got the truth. Honestly though, I'd probably tuck my tail between my legs and run."

"You're lucky. You have an outlet. You get on stage every night and can lose yourself in the music for two hours. That's two hours you don't have to think about the problems in your life. I don't have that. I can't shut my mind off. I think about everything that's happened. I think about when I noticed Chris pulling away from me. I keep trying to figure out what happened. If I did something. If I didn't do something. I keep coming up empty."

Silence fell as the tour bus continued down Interstate 95 toward Washington DC. Melissa wondered how long she could go on tour with Rachel. Her tour had two months left; she could ride the whole thing and end in Los Angeles. Once in LA she could visit mutual friends that lived on the west coast, spend time with Lance.

'Anything to avoid going home to Florida.' 

"Do you mind popping out a couple kids?"

Rachel blinked in surprise, completely caught off guard. The question had some out of nowhere. They weren't even talking children or babies. "Uhm... Well, I'm kind of busy at the moment. Why?"

"I figure since all my other dreams are shattering - being a wife, becoming a published author - I'll be your nanny. You pop out blue eyed babies with voices like angels and I'll take care of them while you're rocking the stage and JC's busy writing you number one hits."

"We were supposed to have babies together," Rachel said fondly, her mind thinking of that blue eyed baby Melissa mentioned. A blue eyed baby with a mop of brown curls, an infectious giggle; an enormous amount of energy. "Have a double wedding. Get pregnant at the same time. Have our babies at the same time. Plan double birthday parties and big sleep over events. Our kids were supposed to be best friends and marry each other."

"I don't think that's in the cards for me."

"Bullshit. We may have not had a double wedding, which was a completely corny idea."

"Well, we were ten..."

"True," Rachel smiled. "But we can still have babies around the same time."

"In case you've forgotten, my marriage is in shambles."

"You're gonna get through this Melissa. I believe it. In my heart, you and Chris are gonna come out on the other side, closer than ever and more in love. You're gonna have enough babies to start your own musical group. Which Chris will have to watch because you'll be busy penning your umpteenth bestseller."

"I hope so." She looked down at her hands trying not to let Rachel's words paint a picture in her mind. "We're gonna be in Orlando in a few days. What am I gonna do? How can I face him?"

Rachel had no words for Melissa. She tried to imagine herself in Melissa's shoes and she still didn't have the answer. If JC ever cheated on her, she'd kick him to the curb but even has she thought it, she wasn't sure she could do it. She loved him. She wasn't sure she could let him go. So she knew were Melissa was coming from on that aspect. As for keeping secrets, that wouldn't fly. She would hound JC until he told her. If it was something as serious as what Melissa was blaming Chris of, no way would Rachel take anything but the truth for an answer.

When they rolled into Orlando for the concert, she hoped Chris was ready to talk. She hoped Melissa was ready to listen no matter what he might say. JC said Chris wasn't cheating and Rachel believed her husband. She penned a song - with the help of JC - she wanted to sing during the concert in Orlando. It was a duet that JC was gonna sing with her. It all stemmed from the words Melissa had uttered over the phone when she first called about Chris's cheating. With Melissa sharing a lot about her relationship with Christ over the years, she'd been able to make the song personal. Her band already had the music. They just needed to get Melissa and Chris together. 

Hopefully the song would do the rest.

~*~

"I need Advil," Joey moaned, stumbling into the kitchen. He fell into the chair at the table and laid his head down on his crossed arms.

"Rough night?"

Joey's head shot up at the new voice and immediately groaned. He placed both hands on either side of his head and closed his eyes. His stomach threatened to empty its contents. When his brain stopped ramming back and forth inside his skull like it was playing a game of pong, he opened bloodshot eyes and stared at the man sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal. "What are you doing here?"

Justin stood from the table, his cereal half eaten and grabbed the Advil from the counter. On his way back to the table, he took a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Placing both in front of Joey, he sat back down. "Old man," he said taking a spoonful of cereal.

Joey flipped him off before shoving four pills into his mouth. He took a big swig of the cold water and washed them down. "Can you not chew so loud?"

Justin chuckled and made a display of taking a big bite and chewing loudly, with his mouth open.

"That's disgusting, J," Joey said. "So, what are you doing here? Aren't you busy conquering the world one city at a time?"

"I already own the world," Justin grinned. 

"Still a cocky bastard."

JC's steps faltered as he walked into the kitchen seeing Justin at the table with Joey. He was shocked the man was there. "What are you doing here?" He walked to the coffee pot sending a prayer up to God that there was coffee. With a steaming cup, he took a seat at the table.

"Apparently you still have a tolerance," Justin noted. "Joey's about ready to detach his head over here." He nodded toward Joey, who had his forehead resting against the table. "What happened here last night?"

"Did you get me drunk?" Joey raised his head slowly to look at JC across the table. "Why aren't you dead?"

"Because I didn't drink as much as you. I've been up for awhile now. I've showered and eaten. Plus took half that bottle of Advil already."

"Half the bottle?" Joey looked longingly at the bottle before Justin snatched it away.

"I ain't spending my time here in the hospital while they pump your stomach."

"You could probably get room service," Joey said.

"You're such an ass."

JC blew out a breath and rolled his eyes. 'Why didn't I call Lance?' He wondered not for the first time. Lance would have been better than Joey and now he had Justin to deal with. "What are you doing here?" He asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Gee, you all act like I can't come and visit my friend." Justin said hurt.

"That's not what I meant," JC said, feeling like an asshole. He hadn't meant to insinuate anything. "You're on tour. How did you get away?"

"I rescheduled everything I had today. I have to fly out at an ungodly hour tomorrow morning," Justin shrugged. "I needed to see Chris. He didn't sound too good on the phone when I talked to him. What's going on?"

"He's a fucking idiot," Joey said, his voice muffled as he had placed his forehead back on the table. "Can't I just have two more pills?"

"No," Justin and JC said together.

"Then give me some fucking coffee."

"And they say I'm a drama queen," Justin muttered standing up. He put his dirty bowl in the sink and poured Joey a cup of coffee. "So Chris. What's going on? I'm assuming since he's not up that he's hungover?"

JC nodded. "Probably worse than Joey."

Justin swore under his breath. "What's going on?" He listened in stunned silence as JC told him what had been going on in his friends' marriage; filling him in on what he knew from Rachel. Then how Melissa showed up on tour. "She asked for a divorce?"

"Yeah."

"What a fucking idiot." Justin repeated Joey's earlier words. Neither of the men disputed his claim. "What's he gonna do?"

JC shrugged. "I don't know. He tries to be a martyr saying she left him that it is her fault. This didn't just happen. According to Rachel, their problems have been happening for awhile now."

"Mel doesn't know what's going on?"

JC shook his head. "She's clueless. Said he just started pulling away from her."

"He's gonna lose her," Justin said, shaking his head. "There is no one else in this world who would put up with Chris like Mel does. I'd say she's a saint but she's just as crazy as he is. They're perfect for each other."

"Maybe we should dump vanilla pudding over their heads and wake them the hell up." Joey muttered. He sat up and was thankful when his head didn't protest too much.

"He was so pissed that day," Justin laughed. "Funniest fucking thing."

"He definitely deserved it for all the crap he pulled on her."

"Foreplay."

"I don't need that image in my head."

"Don't be such a prude C. Like we didn't sit around and watch you and Rachel make eyes at each other." Justin fluttered his eyelashes and smiled at JC.

"Knock it off," JC pushed him, feeling the blush cover his face. "How are we gonna fix this?"

"Make Chris a doctor's appointment." Joey said. The coffee was finally working. He was feeling halfway human again.

"For what?" Justin asked.

"To remove his head from his sphincter."

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted their laughter. Joey moaned and grabbed his head.

"Maybe one of Justin's groupies followed him here," JC teased and stood up to answer the door. Justin's, 'Do you remember that one fan...' faded as he moved further from the kitchen toward the front door. He wondered briefly if anyone ordered food. He had eaten toast earlier in hopes to settle his stomach but now he was hungry for food. He couldn't eat cereal at any hour of the day like Justin. It was doubtful anyone ordered food. Joey wasn't fully among the living and Justin... He curbed that thought. They were there to help Chris not psycho analyze their group problems.

He checked the peephole and his eyes widened. A smile was in place when he opened the door. "Hey!"

"You guys decide to have a reunion and don't invite me?" Lance grinned at his brother-in-law. "The four of us together. I can hear the rumors now."

"Five," JC corrected as he gave Lance a one armed hug. 

"Five?" Lance stared at JC shocked. "Justin's here?"

JC nodded. "Got here a couple hours ago, I guess. He was here when I came downstairs."

"Now I'm hurt," Lance drawled. "No one thought to invite me. I had to find out from my sister. Didn't think I could solve women trouble?"

"Please," JC rolled his eyes. "I realized I should have called you about five minutes after I arrived here when Joey and Chris started in on each other." 

Lance grimaced. "How's Chris?"

"Yet to make an appearance this morning. When he does, I expect him to be hung over." JC filled Lance in on everything that he knew and what had transpired since he and Joey arrived.

"Chris is a fucking idiot."

"Seems to the consensus around here."

"Hey!" Justin grinned and stood when Lance entered the kitchen behind JC. "Look whose here."

"Yeah, not that I got an invite or anything," he hugged Justin and looked at Joey. "You alright Joey?"

"Did you bring food?" Joey asked, causing everyone to laugh. 

"Between the four of us, we should be able to figure something out," Lance said taking a seat at the table."

"We have three days," JC said as Justin stood. He watched him go to a drawer and start rifling through. "Rachel's tour hits town then. Melissa will be in town. It's our best chance."

"Think you can pen a song for Chris to sing?"

"Just rework the words on 'Mirrors'," Joey said. "'I look in the mirror and a fucking idiot is staring back at me.'"

Lance snorted. "Subtle."

Joey shrugged. "Get me food and I'll do better." He jumped when a bunch of pamphlets hit the table in front of him. "What's this?"

"The Kirkpatrick collection of fine dining," Justin sat back down as every one started looking at the delivery menus. 

"I think there is one for every restaurant and take out place in Orlando," JC said leafing through some of them. "I don't think this place is even open anymore."

"Pick something and I'll order. What?" Justin said when they all looked at him. 

"You'll order?"

"I didn't think you had to do that anymore."

"Yeah, don't you have people to do that now?"

"Fuck off." Justin snapped but the smile he had tried to hide snuck through. "You all can order your own damn food."

It was loud for a few minutes as the four of them tried to figure what they all wanted. Then it was down right chaotic as they all shouted their order to Justin. 

"Hey, who is paying for all this?" Justin stared at the men, who all decided the menus spread on the table were interesting. "Fuckers," he muttered and took his wallet from his jeans. "You owe me."

"Not like you can't afford it with the price you charge for tickets."

"Fuck off."

JC meet Lance's gaze. "This is what I was dealing with last night."

"Has to be Joey," Lance grinned. "He's the common dominator. It's all his fault."

"What's all my fault?" Joey turned his attention from Justin to Lance. He looked back and forth between JC and Lance. "Look at you two being all buddy buddy."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Shut up Joey."

"Can we get back to what's important here?" JC broke in. "Maybe come up with a plan before Chris gets up."

"You said we had three days before Melissa gets back?"

JC nodded. "Rachel will be here in three days. Unless she runs, I assume she'll be here."

"Which isn't completely out of the question," Lance said. "So," he looked at Joey and JC. "You two have been around him. What's going on?"

"Your guess is as good as ours," Joey shrugged. "He won't say anything."

"I have a theory," JC said. He had hoped to bring this up earlier, but the distractions had been plenty. "This might not even be anywhere close because I'm not sure when exactly this all started but this could be the reason--"

"Get to the point JC," Joey cut him off. 

JC sent Joey a glare. "What if this whole thing started when Melissa started changing?"

"Changing how?" Justin asked.

"She lost a lot of weight, slimmed down. Wearing sexier clothes...."

"You checking her out?"

"No dumbass," JC rolled his eyes at Joey. "I'm perfectly happy with what I have. Which is why I thought of this."

"How did my sister make you think of this?" Lance asked. He could see merit to JC's theory. Melissa did change her lifestyle. He was shocked when he saw her on a visit to Miami. He almost didn't recognize her.

"I married up didn't I?"

Justin laughed out loud. "Oh yeah," he clapped JC on the back. "You definitely married up."

"And you didn't?" Joey countered.

"Oh yeah," JC laughed. "He definitely married out of his league."

"Like Rachel isn't out of your league," Justin muttered.

"I caught her before she became out of my league," JC grinned.

"So what's this have to do with Mel and Chris?" Joey asked, bringing the conversation back around.

"You think this all started because Melissa lost weight?"

JC nodded. "Maybe Chris thinks he doesn't deserve her. Maybe he thinks she's changed and no longer wants him that she's gonna find someone else."

The kitchen fell silent as the guys mulled over what JC had said. It did make sense. None of them could know for sure until Chris confirmed it. They needed to get him talking.

"Jesus Fucking Christ," Chris's head pounded with the hang over of all hangovers. He needed to find the Advil to knock out the jack hammering in his skull. Then he needed to close all the curtains and blinds. It was far too bright in his house. Then he was going back to bed. That all flew out of his mind when he caught sight of his kitchen table. He blinked trying to clear the fuzz from his mind. Was he still sleeping? "What year is this?"


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Melissa felt sick as she stared at the window at the passing scenery; scenery she recognized. Her stomach rolled and she pressed her hand against it in an attempt to settle it. She was back in Orlando.

Back in Orlando and no closer to figuring her life out than she had been three days earlier. She still hadn't been able to stop crying. The concert in Jacksonville had been terrible. Of course Rachel had rocked it as usual but during the concert she had seen a sign in the crowd.

'My girlfriend said yes!' 

The sign had proclaimed in big bold letters. It had caught her friend's eye and she stopped the concert to pull them up on stage. Melissa had watched from the VIP section as Rachel talked to both the man and woman. The tears had started when the man told the whole arena that he had almost lost his girl because he was an idiot.

'I will thank my lucky stars until the day I die that this woman gave me another chance.' The man had said. 'I didn't deserve the second chance or the third but she believed in me and I finally got my head on straight. My life is nothing without her in it.'

The tears had flowed then. The beautiful words he had spoken to his wife; the way he had stared at her as he spoke. He was on stage in front of thousands of people, many of whom had their cell phones in the air recording. He was standing next to a country superstar but he only had eyes for his lady.

It had hurt to watch; the couple so in love. She ducked out of the arena as the couple kissed much to the crowds delight. Tears had been streaming down her face as she jumped up on Rachel's bus. She had thrown herself down on the couch and sobbed for the love that she had lost.

Now she was back in Orlando and she didn't know what to do. Did she go home and deal with Chris? Would Chris still even be there? Does she pretend that everything is alright and continue touring with Rachel; riding her tour across the US?

Melissa shook her head. She couldn't pretend everything was alright. She couldn't pretend her heart wasn't broken. She couldn't even plaster a smile on her face without her bottom lip quivering. People who were alright didn't walk around with tear filled eyes all day. People who were alright didn't cry themselves to sleep while they clutched their pillow tight.

So she couldn't pretend she was alright, but that didn't mean she couldn't ride Rachel's tour across the US. Maybe that's what she and Chris needed. Time apart. Time apart to assess their marriage and what they wanted. Time to think if they even loved each other anymore.

She clenched her eyes shut at the onslaught of tears. Of course she loved him! She hadn't stopped from loving him since she realized that she did love him!

'Maybe he doesn't love you anymore.'

The voice brought her up short and a new pain gripped her chest. Was that it? Was that what this was all about? Chris didn't love her anymore and he didn't know how to tell her? His plan was to completely push her away until she couldn't take it anymore and she left?  
'It worked.'

Hook. Line. And sinker.

"Come on! Get up!"

Melissa looked up as Rachel walked back into the room. She had been showering and getting ready for the day, while she had been sitting in her pajamas wallowing in self pity. Though she was allowed to. Her life was falling apart. Unlike her best friend, she didn't have a hot ex boy bander waiting for her when the bus rolled to a stop.

"I don't want to," Melissa turned away to stare out the window as the tears rolled down. "Just go meet up with JC. I'm gonna hang out on the bus."

"Mel," Rachel sighed and took a seat next to her friend. She wrapped her arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "I know this is hard."

"You don't know anything!" Melissa exploded throwing Rachel's arm off as she stood up. "You life is fucking perfect! You have a fucking sold out tour across the US. You have a number one hit song currently on the charts and an album that's been in the top five since it came out! Five million twitter followers and fans everywhere you turn; crying and telling you how much they love you. 

You have a husband who adores you. A husband who drops everything to tour with you because he can't stand to be away from you for more than a day." She angrily swiped away tears. She was full on ugly crying now. The words kept coming and they wouldn't stop. "A husband who calls right before you hit the stage to tell you he loves you. A husband who calls as soon as you step off. It's not fair. It's not fucking fair! And I just know as soon as this tour is over, you're gonna start having kids. Everything in your life is fucking perfect and mine is falling apart."

"Everything is my life is not perfect," Rachel said quietly. "My best friend is hurting and there is nothing I can do to fix it. I can't even give her the proper amount of best friend time because I have all these obligations that I can't cancel."

"Because that comes first."

"What a bitchy thing to say. You know how this works Mel. This isn't your first time dealing with a tour. I can't just cancel a tour! I can't just reschedule a week of dates or a month of dates. You know the work that goes into setting up a tour. You're not being fair."

"What's fair?" Melissa laughed mechanically. "I'm thirty-five years old. I have nothing to show for it. I don't have a job. I don't have kids to warrant not having a job. I don't even have a marriage anymore. How is it fair that my husband doesn't love me anymore? How is it fair that after fourteen years of being together, he can just stop loving me? How is it fair that he can rip my life apart? How can he just break my heart?"

"I'm taking a cheese grater to his dick, I don't even care," Rachel muttered as she quickly moved to Melissa, taking her crying friend in her arms. "Shhh," she soothed. "It's not fair. I know it's not. It's not fair how Chris has been treating you. You don't deserve this. You've done nothing wrong."

"But I must have done something wrong to make him do this."

"This is not your fault." Rachel said forcefully. "Whatever happened is Chris's hang up, not yours."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I can't tell you that," Rachel said softly. "You need to think about what you want to do. If you want to go through with the divorce then I'm here for you. If you want to try and fix your marriage, then I support you. Whatever you're going to do, I will be behind you. You want me to provide an alibi and a shovel? I got you covered."

Melissa started giggling. She hugged her friend tight. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, go shower and put your face on. We'll be at the arena soon."

Melissa's stomach somersaulted and her smile faltered. "Why... why didn't we drive down from Jacksonville last night after your concert? We could have been here one or two last night?"

"JC and I didn't want to disturb you," Rachel grinned.

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Like that's ever stopped you before. Need I remind you of the time you and JC got it on in the bunk next to mine?"

Rachel smirked. "Do you really want to play this game?" Her grin faded and she cursed quietly. "Damnit. Mel; I'm sorry. I didn't..."

Melissa waved her hand in the air, cutting Rachel off. "It's alright. I know. Chris and I weren't exactly the quietest of couples or very private." 

"I am gonna have to shoo you away for a couple hours after lunch though," Rachel felt bad, but it had to be done. She needed the private time with JC and Melissa couldn't be around.

"Sure," Melissa shrugged. "I'll make myself disappear. Just remove the handkerchief from the bus door to give the all clear."

*~*

"I can't believe Joey and Lance are here!" Even with her problems, the smile hadn't been far from Melissa's face from the moment the bus pulled to a stop in the private parking lot of the arena. The door had opened and JC had jumped on board first. Melissa hadn't been surprised that he was waiting; no doubt impatiently. She had been surprised when Joey lumbered up followed by Lance. She gave a shriek and tossed herself into Joey's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Joey met JC in Orlando a few days ago," Rachel explained as she sat in the chair getting her hair and make up done. Her concert was set to begin momentarily. The opening act could be heard from the dressing room now. She could already feel the energy in the arena. "Lance flew in a day later."

"Unbelievable," Melissa shook her head. "The four of them in one place..."

"Five," Rachel interrupted. "Apparently Justin flew in as well. He could only stay for the day though."

"Wow!" Melissa was shocked. "What in the world sparked that re...union... oh."

"Hey..." Rachel said trying to meet Melissa's eyes through the mirror. She couldn't move her head, so she reached out to take her friend's hand. "You came to me," she gave a half smile when Melissa finally met her eyes in the mirror. "JC went to be with Chris. He just needed some reinforcements." 

"Was he that bad?" Melissa asked, her heart aching thinking Chris being that cut up about her leaving that all the guys had to go to him.

"You know how men are," Rachel sent her a small smile. "They never talk about their feelings. They probably all set around drinking and insulting each other's manhood."

"Yeah," Melissa rolled her eyes. "We should have ended that particular argument years ago."

"We tried," Rachel started giggling a she remembered. "They listened to all our instructions until we told them to drop their drawers."

"That's when the figured out what the ruler was for," Melissa joined Rachel in giggling and in a few moments they were laughing loudly, even the lady working on Rachel's hair was laughing. The make up lady had to stop because she couldn't get her hand steady.

"I never knew anyone could get so red!"

"Justin was pissed we only had a little six-inch ruler," Melissa gasped for breath. She felt tears roll down her cheeks. This time they were happy tears.

"What are you laughing at?" Lance asked.

"Remember who you're talking to, Lance," Joey said clapping him on the back, pulling him away from the girls. 

"Right." Lance nodded. He probably didn't want to know. "Any word from Chris?"

JC shook his head. "He's not answering. My calls go straight to voicemail. From my phone and Rachel's."

"He's gonna fuck up," Joey shook his head. "We should have hog tied him and forced him to come."

"I don't understand," JC sighed frustrated. They had finally made a breakthrough with him; gotten to the bottom of his problem. Everything was looking up and working out fine. Until Melissa got in to town. Chris wouldn't go with them to the arena to meet the bus. He didn't go with them to lunch.

"Are you and Rachel ready?" Lance asked. After lunch he and Joey had occupied Melissa's time while JC could stay back at the bus with Rachel. Melissa thought her friends wanted private time after being apart for a few days but in reality, JC and Rachel needed that time to work on the song they had wrote for Chris and Melissa.

"Yeah," JC nodded. "We crowded on the band bus and hashed everything out. It's good. We're good."

"Won't do a lot of good if he doesn't show up."

"He still has time," Lance said. "He can still show up."

"I hope so. I have to get back to LA. I've been pushing a few things off that can't afford to be put off any longer."

"Same here." Lance and Joey looked at JC.

JC rubbed the back of his neck. "I can stay longer. I don't know what Melissa's doing. Rachel doesn't know either. I don't know if she's staying here after tonight or continuing on tour."

"Guess we've really done all we can," Lance finally said. "It's up to Chris to make an effort now. We need to find out seats. We'll meet you out there?"

JC nodded and watched as Lance, Joey and Melissa wished Rachel good luck before heading out the door where a security guard would lead them to their seats. Another one would take him out.

"Is he gonna show up?" Rachel asked once they were alone.

"I don't know," JC sighed and shook his head. He pulled his wife into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"I should be able to see you guys, but I'm not sure. The guys know to go off your signal," she told him. They were only going to do the song if Chris showed up. Everyone who needed to know there might be an off the cuff song knew. JC was supposed to come backstage toward the middle of her concert, but with Chris not here... She didn't know when the song would end up taking place. 

"Relax," JC whispered into her ear. He breathed her in and closed his eyes. He felt her relax into him and he welcomed her weight. He sighed contently. They stood together, their eyes closed, blocking out the world around them. "I love you."

Rachel lifted her head from his chest and met his blue eyes. Her hands trailed around his waist to his stomach. The muscles clenched beneath her touch. A smile teased at her lips as her fingers continued their trail upward over the soft fabric of JC's white long sleeved polo shirt. It pulled deliciously across his chest. The top button remained undone. She cupped his face, the scruff of a 2-day beard tickling her palms. Brushing her thumbs across the coarse hair on his cheeks, she closed the distance between their lips.

The chiming of JC's phone broke them apart. JC pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the message displayed on the locked screen. He turned it around so Rachel could see.

'Chris is here'


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

The concert started off rocking and alive. The strobe lights flashed and twirled as the band started off with the melody for Good Girl. The crowd erupted into cheers when the back wall opened in a little door way and Rachel made her way through singing.

Chris tried to keep his eye on the stage but they kept drifting to his left. Melissa sat next to him. They weren't given a choice on their seats. He sat at a small table in the VIP section with Joey. The table was only big enough for two seats to face the stage. Joey sat on the outside, leaving him on the inside, which meant at the table next to him, were Lance and Melissa. Lance had left Melissa with the middle seat. She had to take it or sit at another table away from them.

He wouldn't have blamed her if she did. 

There was an empty seat on the other side of Lance. Chris assumed it was JC's. He had looked around the VIP area, but didn't see him. He figured he must have still been backstage when he had arrived. With Rachel on stage, JC would probably be making an appearance soon.

They drew stares and points. He could see groups who were seated near the section, talking in hushed whispers as they looked at their group. The flashes going off weren't just from the strobe lights on stage but from the fans taking pictures of three of the members of *NSYNC. No doubt they'd be all over the Internet tomorrow.

*NSYNC reunited at Rachel's concert. Of course they'd point out that Justin hadn't been in attendance due to his own tour. Wouldn't the gossip rags and tabloids loved to have known that all five of them were together just days before. Then it would be questions of what they were doing together; if a reunion was in the works.

The joke would be on them though. The only reason they were all together was to save his sorry ass and help him fix his marriage. Sometimes he wondered what he did to deserve friends like JC, Justin, Joey and Lance. They had basically dropped everything and came to him. He hadn't even asked them to. They all just showed up.

He didn't deserve them. He didn't deserve the woman sitting next to him.

Melissa hadn't met his eye. She wouldn't even look at him. Not that he blamed her. He couldn't even look at himself in the mirror which would probably explain the unshaven jaw. 

If he was gonna fix this, he needed to talk to Melissa. They couldn't do it in the middle of a concert though. They needed privacy. He wanted to take her hand and lead her from the arena to his car where they could drive away and leave the craziness behind. No way he could do that. Melissa had been counting the days until her best friend was in town. He was gonna have to wait until the concert was over. Even then he wasn't sure if Melissa would be staying in Orlando or going with Rachel. If she climbed on the tour bus with Rachel, he wouldn't know when he would be able to talk to her again.

Melissa tried to relax, but it was hard to do with Chris sitting so close to her. She could smell his cologne; she could feel him. She was rigid in the seat. She wanted to hate Lance and Joey for making her sit next to him. When he had first walked into the section, she hadn't been able to stop staring. Their eyes had locked and everything fell away. It took everything she had not to go to him. She ached to walk into his arms; to be held by him. It had been too long.

Joey and Lance had proved to be good distractions today, but it didn't solve any of her problems. She had until the end of Rachel's concert to decide if she was going home or not. One minute she was sure she was going home but then the next she remembered how hurt she was and decided she was never going back home while Chris was there.

She wished she could stop time so she wouldn't have to make a decision. She wished she could go back in time and find out where her marriage went wrong and fix it before it got to this point. 

What was she going to do? Was she serious about the divorce? Did she really want to divorce Chris and start all over? Could she really live her life without Chris?

"How are you guys doing tonight!"

Melissa forced her mind off Chris and back toward the stage when Rachel started talking. She had completely missed the second song in the set list.

"It's always great to come back to Orlando," Rachel continued. "I have spent a lot of time here. I consider it my second home. A lot of good memories are tied up in this town."

Melissa listened to the wild screams around her happy that her best friend was able to carve this out for herself. She was a little envious. She wanted something to call her own. There was no way she was as talented as Rachel to climb up on stage and sing to sold out stadiums and arenas. She left her singing to the shower walls, in her car and to karaoke nights when she had liquid courage.

"We're gonna do something a little different tonight. I know you guys have seen the set list already, but I'm adding a new song tonight."

Melissa shifted in her chair. Her movements caused her to brush against Chris. A shiver ran through her at the contact. Her eyes met his for only the second time that night. She felt herself being drawn in. Her hand itched to reach out for the hand that was oh so close to her.

"I wrote this song with JC..." Cheers drowned her out and she had to stop talking. JC was wildly popular among her fans. "We wrote this together a couple weeks ago. It's about a love that's on the verge of being lost. These two hearts are on separate paths and will continue that way unless someone or something intervenes. 

Melissa stiffened at Rachel's words. Her brain worked overtime. A couple weeks ago was when she called Rachel, crying, that her marriage was over. Now she had a song about love being lost?

"I hope you don't mind if I have a little help on stage for this song," Rachel looked over her shoulder as JC started out on stage. The fans cheered loudly. She could see flash bulbs going off all over the place. The fans were in for a treat because this was the only time this song was going to be performed. She had no plans to sing this song again. They had written this to help their friends not to make money from it. "You ready?"

"Let's do this," JC said into his microphone, grinning as the crown got louder. He reached out taking Rachel's hand in his giving it a squeeze. When she looked at him he smiled and sent her a wink.

"Cause sometimes we all need a little reminder..." Rachel said into the microphone as the music started.

Melissa's toe started moving to the beat of music. She watched the guitar playing behind Rachel pluck through the cords. She had already fallen in love with the song and the words hadn't even begun.

JC blocked out the noise of the fans and the flashing bulbs. The wild strobe lights from Rachel's first two numbers were off. Rachel's crew had them bathed in light. He would thank them later; they weren't given a warning about this song. He moved back toward the microphone stand, that a stage hand had brought out for him. When his cue drew closer, he gripped the mic and started to sing.

"We didn't care if people stared; we'd make out in a crowd somewhere. Somebody'd tell us to get a room. It's hard to believe that was me and you."

Melissa's breath hitched as she heard the opening lines. It was like a punch to the gut to hear. Rachel had told her the phrase 'get a room' was made because of her and Chris. It wasn't exactly a lie. Her and Chris had to be pulled apart many times because Chris had to go on stage, whether he was performing or it was an interview. There were many photos floating around the Internet of their younger days of them caught in a lip locked. They had epic make out sessions. She loved kissing Chris. She could do that and only that for hours. Sometimes they did.

Chris was unable to take his eyes off the stage. His friend was singing but he wasn't seeing them. The words went into his head and tumbled around in there. He clenched his hand into a fist, realizing he had been somewhat set up. Even with Rachel's introduction, he still brushed it off. No way she had been talking about him. Except she was and now JC was singing about how Chris used to kiss Melissa's neck.

Oh he knew the spot. Right behind her ear. If he kissed that spot, Melissa would melt in his arms. He hadn't kissed that spot in weeks.

"Remember the airport, dropping me off. We were kissing goodbye and we couldn't stop," Rachel sang, a small smile tugged at her lips.

"And I felt bad cause you missed your flight," JC sang. "But that meant we had one more night." They added together before Rachel continued alone.

"Do you remember how it used to be? We'd turn out the lights and we didn't just sleep."

Movement caught Melissa's eye and she took her eyes off the stage and looked down. Lance was pushing a snack pack of vanilla pudding in front of her. She couldn't take her eyes off of the desert.

They had been set up. Their friends had conspired against them.

"We thought about having a vat of vanilla pudding drop down on your two," Joey said as he pushed the snack pack in front of Chris. "The arena thought we were crazy."

"I wanna feel that way," JC turned to look at Rachel.

'Yeah, I wanna hold you close," Rachel answered back, staring into his eyes. "Oh if you still love me," JC's voice blended with her. "Don't just assume I know."

Melissa stared at the snack pack, still unopened, and still untouched. She jumped when she felt a hand take hers. She flicked her eyes from the vanilla pudding to her hand, to the hand that had taken hers. It held on tight and she felt the pull. Raising her eyes, she stared into Chris's dark gaze. Tears spilled over and rolled down her cheeks.

"Do you remember the way it felt," Rachel sang.

"You mean back when we couldn't control ourselves?" JC sang the answering line. He had already taken the mic off the stand. He reached out to take his wife's hand.

"Remind me," Rachel sang staring JC.

"Yeah remind me."

"All those things that you used to do, that made me fall in love with you."

Chris held Melissa's hand tight. He reached out with his free hand to wipe her tears away. Melissa owed him nothing. He had put her through hell and he deserved everything she threw at him. He didn't deserve a second chance but he wanted it. "Can we go and talk?"

*~*

"Thank you," Chris said as he shut the door to their house. He had been shocked Melissa had accepted his offer to talk. Even he would have bet against her agree. No place came to mind for them to talk other than their home. This wasn't the type of conversation he wanted to have out in public. No doubt Melissa would let him have it. It was what he deserved. He just didn't want an audience when it happened. "You didn't have to come. You could have told me to fuck off..."

"What happened?" Melissa started wide eyed at the living room. There were beer bottles lying around and empty pizza boxes. A pile of clean clothes tossed on one end of the couch. Least she thought they were clean. An ironing board was set up in the middle of the room.

Chris felt himself blush and rub the back of his neck. "Joey's still a bit of a slob..."

"Joey did a load of laundry? Was he gonna iron your drawers?"

Chris looked down at his shoes, shined only a couple hours before. "Well, no. I did."

"You ironed your drawers?" A smiled teased at Melissa's lips. "I know you didn't pay attention when I did laundry, but I never ironed your underwear. Hmm, after all these years I never knew you liked fresh pressed briefs."

"I ironed my shirt and pants for tonight," Chris said, raising his eyes to look at Melissa. "I wanted to look good when you saw me. I was in a hurry to get to the concert. I didn't go with the Joey and Lance because I thought you wouldn't want to see me."

"I didn't." Melissa stated and started picking up the empty beer bottles. Her living room looked like four bachelors lived there. She needed to do something. She didn't know if she could sit and listen to Chris explain what was going on. She didn't know if her heart could take hearing him confirm he had cheated on her.

"Please don't," Chris took the bottles from her and sat them down on the coffee table. He kept her hands in his. "I didn't bring you back here to pick up my mess."

"Did you cheat on me?" Melissa was horrified. How could she have let that just slip out?

"Melissa..." Chris said softly. He tightened the hold on her hands when she tried to pull away. "Look at me. Please look at me," he repeated. Very slowly her eyes rose to meet his. "I never cheated on you. Never. I never even thought about it."

"Then what's going on?" Melissa asked. "Why have you pulled away from me? What did I do? Why did you stop loving me?"

"Stop..." The words failed Chris. Melissa thought he stopped loving her? "Melissa... I never stopped loving you."

"Really?" Melissa laughed. "You have a funny way of showing you love me." She broke free of his hands and moved away. She couldn't stand so close to him. Being near, she felt herself being pulled in. She needed to keep her senses. 

"I know," Chris sighed, his arms falling back to his sides. "I'm sorry."

"You're gonna have to do better than 'I'm sorry', Chris. You have treated me like shit for months now. You shut me out. What's going on? And I want the truth this time. You better tell me everything or I'm walking out that door and I'm never coming back."

"I will; I will." Chris said immediately. He couldn't let Melissa walk out. He couldn't lose her. He had to fix this. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I never cheated on you. The thought never crossed my mind. All this time, I still loved you. Even when I was acting like a complete and total asshole, I still loved you. I just didn't think you still loved me."

"What?" Melissa whispered. She turned back around to face her husband. "What do you mean? I have loved you from nearly the moment I met you. I was just too stupid to realize I was in love. How can you think I wasn't still in love with you? What did I do?"

"This is gonna sound really stupid," Chris said. He remembered how it sounded telling Joey, Lance, JC and Justin. Of course afterward, they had told him as much. Multiple times.

"I don't care. Just tell me why you thought I didn't love you anymore."

"You changed. You started eating differently, working out, losing a bunch of weight. Your whole closet changed. I thought you were replacing me."

"Replacing you?" Melissa stared at Chris. She had no idea what to say. She had no idea how Chris had felt. He had never let on what her losing weight did to him. "I was trying to make myself more attractive to you."

"I am attracted to you. Just the way you were. I put on weight since we've met; I thought you weren't attracted to me anymore. You were changing yourself because you were gonna kick me to the curb and marry someone else?"

"Someone else? Someone skinnier than you? You know damn well I don't find skinny men attractive. If I did I would have gone after Justin or JC. I like a man with a little bit of meat on his bones. You're my bear. I think you're just as sexy and gorgeous as you were when I met you. Maybe more so... age has added to the appeal."

"Then why did you start changing?"

"Because I wasn't happy with myself," Melissa looked down, wringing her hands. "I would stare in the mirror and didn't like what was looking back at me. I was buying bigger clothes than I had been and..." she shrugged. "I didn't feel sexy anymore. I didn't find myself attractive. I didn't think you would either."

"You're always attractive to me," Chris stalked across the living room until he was standing behind Melissa. He placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned close. "You know I find you at your most sexiness when you're make-up free hanging out in sweat pants and a t-shirt. Do I find you gorgeous when you have your face all done up and your hair fixed? Hell yeah. But I don't need all that. I just need you. Can you forgive me?"

"You shut me out Chris," Melissa turned around the face him. "You shut me out for months. You stopped talking to me. You stopped inviting me places. You disappeared on me. You stopped being here. You stopped being a part of my life."

"I know and I'm sorry," Chris said softly. He reached up, cupping her face. Her eyes fluttered close. Chris threaded his fingers through her hair to the back of her head where he applied a small amount of pressure, coaxing her to him. He pressed her head against his chest and wrapped his other arm around her waist. "I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you. You don't have to forgive me right now. If you need time, I'll give you as much time as you need. If you want to jump back on tour with Rachel, I'll drive you back to the arena right now. I know I can't ask you this, considering... but please don't shut me out. Please don't shut me out like I shut you out." He closed his eyes. Pain gripped his heart and a lump rose in his throat. "Please don't go through with the divorce."

Melissa stood in Chris's hold. She hadn't made a move to put her arms around him, much like he had. She needed to make her decision now. Could she forgive Chris for what he had done to her or was it over? "You didn't cheat on me? All those times you were gone half the night and took a shower when you got home... you swear you weren't with someone else?"

"No!" Chris is harshly. He cupped Melissa's face with both his hands. He held her gaze, not allowing her to look away. "I did not cheat on you," he punctuated every word hoping to get her to believe him. "I spent my nights drinking at this off the road, hole in the wall bar. Full of rough bikers. I sat in the corner by myself, nursing beers where no one knew my name. I showered when I got home because I smelled like a chimney. I promise you, Mel. I swear to you. I have never cheated on you. I have never thought about cheating on you. During these last few months or any other month. You're the only woman who catches my eye. No one else grabs me the way that you do..."

Melissa stared into his eyes, searching for anything to prove he was lying or not all the way truthful. "I believe you," she whispered. As the words left her mouth, she realized they were true. "But you hurt me..."

"I know I did and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I'll do anything you ask me."

"Don't shut me out again. Do you know how that felt? I thought you didn't love me anymore. I didn't know what I was gonna do - how I was gonna survive - without you. It's been you and me for so long..."

"It's gonna be you and me forever," Chris whispered. "I got my head out of my ass now. I love you Mel."

"I love you too Chris." Melissa's eyes fluttered shut as Chris dipped his head, capturing her lips.

"Does this mean you're staying?" Chris asked hopefully. "I love the guys, but I'd rather share a bed with you."

"Just who were you sharing a bed with?" Melissa leaned back in Chris's arm, one eyebrow raised.

"Well... Joey's a cuddler," Chris grinned. "Just kidding. I only want to cuddle with you. If I ever start putting my head up my ass again, please let me know?"

"Don't worry," Melissa smiled as she pulled Chris's lips back to hers. "I'll remind you."


End file.
